New Love (Angels Warriors MC Trilogy Book 0) (5 page)

I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me. I opened my stupid ass mouth and asked Moira on a date. Shit. I get home and text Mona, asking if she can keep Hunter for the night. She texts back ‘of course’.

I should just ask her if she wants to adopt him, because I barely see the kid anyway. It’s too fuckin’ hard to be around him. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, and every time I look at him, I’m reminded of Hilary.

I play with my phone for a few minutes before calling Lilly. “Hello?”

“Lilly-pad, need some advice.”

“I’ll be there in five.” She hangs up. I was just going to talk to her on the phone, but she hung up before I could say anything.

I pace my living room, waiting for Lilly to show up. Sure enough, ten minutes later, she’s walking through my front door, looking like she’s on a mission.

She sits down and then looks hesitant. “Uh, Mason, Mrs. Shepard was over when you called, and well, she tagged along.”

“Fuck,” I mutter. Just then, the door swings open and Old Lady Shepard marches in. Crazy old bat’s gonna be a pain in my ass.

“You, boy, get me a beer. This is a beer situation,” she says, making her way to sit on the couch beside Lilly. She has on a bright red sweater that swallows her small frame. I can’t believe the old bird still gets around as she does. Old as she is, I bet she could still give me a run for my money.

I groan to myself, mainly because if I groan out loud, she’ll hear me, and she’ll probably throw her big ass purse at my head. Thing looks more like a damn suitcase. Crazy woman probably has a brick in it.

I go to the fridge, grabbing a few beers, and the bottle of wine Lilly put in my fridge when she was over here filling it for me last week. I put everything on the coffee table in front of Lilly and Mrs. S, and sit down on my chair.

“All right, spit it out,” Mrs. Shepard demands.

So, I do. I tell them everything—how I’m feeling, how I’m feeling about my son, Eden, Henry, even Moira. By the end of it, Mrs. Shepard looks pissed. Uh oh.

“You son of a bitch,” she booms. Suddenly, she is digging through her purse, and I feel fear for a moment, thinking she’s going to take out a gun and shoot me. Instead, she pulls out her ash tray, a pack of smokes, and her lighter. “I need a puff before I deal with your sorry ass.”

I look to Lilly, who is giving me ‘yikes’ eyes.

She lights up and blows out a puff of smoke. I want so badly to tell her not to smoke in my house, but I don’t dare say a word. Her lips crinkle around the cigarette as she takes a hard drag.  She sucks in deep, lets out a cough, and then narrows her eyes at me.

“First things first. What happened to Hilary is not Eden’s fault, nor is it Henry’s. Should they have spoken up? Damn right. But they didn’t. Those actions had nothing to do with that bastard who killed her. You want to play the blame game? Blame yourself. You’re the fucker that abused her, cheated on her, and let her stay gone for years.” She pauses, taking another puff. “You knew where she was the whole time, and you just let her stay there. That’s on you. Her dying is on Trent. No one else. Trent. And that sorry bastard is dead.” She takes another puff. “Want to take out your anger on someone? Go to his fucking grave and piss on it. I would, but I’m afraid if I did, I’d probably have a hard time getting back up. My hips aren’t so good these days.”

Lilly pipes up then. “Mrs. Shepard, if you want to, I can take you there and help you back up.”

I burst out laughing because that shit was funny. She’d do it, too. I know her crazy ass would.

Mrs. Shepard waves her hand at Lilly. “I don’t want you looking at my cooter, Lilly, so that just won’t do.” She puts her cigarette out in the ash tray and then takes a gulp of beer. “Now, Mason, I mean it, you need to let it go. Once upon a time, Henry was like a father to you, and while his actions toward his family were horse shit, he was always good to you. As for Eden, get the fuck over it. Now!” she barks at me, causing me to jump slightly.

Lilly lets out a small giggle, and I glare at her. She looks away, hand over her mouth, fighting the urge to laugh. Her wild curls blanket her shoulders, hiding the way they are shaking as she tries not to burst.

“Glare at Lilly one more time, Mason, and I swear my cane will be up your firm ass,” Mrs. Shepard threatens. “As for this Moira girl, I don’t know her, but if she can put up with your stupid ass, she’s good in my books, although I’ll have to meet her first to judge that. You need to move on. No, it’s not too soon. You and Hilary haven’t been together in years—ten years, Mason. You might have been married, but you weren’t together. She’s dead. You think she wants you miserable for the rest of your life? Hunter needs a momma. And if this Moira girl is who you say she is, then that’s just perfect.”

“Mrs. Shepard, you know I care about you and your opinion,” I start saying carefully. “But I loved Hilary, despite the years apart.”

She waves a hand and grabs another cigarette. “You keep living the way you are right now, you will fuck that boy up. Move on, Mason. I mean it.” She lights her smoke. “Now, Lilly dear, how about you host a BBQ, invite the family. Mason can bring this Moira girl, and we can have a grand ol’ time.”

“I can do that, Mrs. Shepard!” Lilly says, smiling brightly.

Fuckin’ hell.

“I’m telling you, boy, you fuck this up with the new girl, I’ll kick you out of my Will,” Mrs. S threatens.

Fuck, this is going to be bad, I just know it, but I feel obligated now.

I’m just finishing up my rotation in the NICU and on my way to my car, when I hear my name called.

Turning around, I see a woman I recognize, another one of Mason’s friends. I also know her from being her nurse after she had her child... with a man that had another child born the same day... Uh oh, I hope this isn’t some angry mob coming at me or something.

Her face falls for a moment before she wipes it clean and gives me a small smile. “You’re Moira?”

“Uh, yes.”

“We’ve already met. I’m Lilly,” she says, sticking out her hand.

I take it and give it a slight shake.

“Vinny isn’t going to take this well, because well, it’s you, but um, I just was with Mason. We had a talk, and I’m going to tell you a few things, so you can proceed with caution, but honestly, just plain out proceed.”

“Oh, pish posh, proceed my ass. She just needs to throw herself at him.” I hear boomed from an older woman coming up behind Lilly. She is walking slowly but has fierce determination written on her face. It is kinda scary.

“I’m so sorry. She got a wild hair and followed me to Mason’s, and now to you,” Lilly whispers frantically.

I smile, trying not to laugh when the older woman gives her a really dirty glare.

“You can call me Mrs. Shepard, dear, but if I hear you calling me Old Lady Shepard, we’ll have problems.” She looks to Lilly and says, “I know those men of yours call me that behind my back, and I’ll be having a talking to with them as well.”

Lilly’s eyes go wide. “Uh...”

Mrs. Shepard looks back to me. “Mason lives in Inglewood. You need to go to his house, strip down naked, and throw yourself at him. Man like Mason, that’s the only way to get through to him.” She smiles, showing me her crooked teeth. I didn’t think she had a smile in her with the way she was looking a moment ago.

“I’m all for something like that, but so far, we’ve only managed to yell at each other. We haven’t really said a decent word to each other since we’ve met,” I tell her.

Mrs. Shepard looks to Lilly again. “I’m gonna wring his fuckin’ neck.”

“Uh, how about we just let Mason be, let him do what he needs to do?” Lilly suggests.

“Moira, was it? You need to be open to Mason. He’s gonna be a dick—trust me. That boy is king dick, but he’s a good boy underneath it all.”

Before anything else is said, my phone starts ringing. “Sorry, I need to get this.”

I look at the caller ID and see a name I never wanted to see again. Sam. “You going to answer that?” Mrs. Shepard asks.

I chew on my tongue for a moment before hitting talk. “What do you want?” I ask him.

“Moira, honey,” he says, trying to placate me. “I’ve told you to not speak to me that way.”

“Yeah, and since then, you’ve fucked around on me and have made me lose two children. Since we’re divorced, it’s the only fucking way I’m going to talk to you, asshole,” I shout back at him. I forgot that I had company, until a freezing cold snap makes my phone so cold I almost drop it and Mrs. Shepard suddenly yanks my phone out of my hand.

My head whips around to look at the woman, and my eyes are wide. I look to Lilly, who has a hand at her throat and her face is pale.

“Who is this?” she demands. “I’m Moira’s new Gramma. Now, tell me, asshole, who is this?”  I can’t hear what is said on the other end. I am still in shock that she swiped my phone so quickly.

“From the conversation I just heard, she divorced you.” She pauses to listen.

“Right, well, guess what, buddy? She has a new man. His name is Reaper. Wanna know how he got that name? By killing fuckers like you.”

“Yes, part of an MC. Got that right.”

She pauses for a second or two, and has a huge grin on her face as she passes me back my phone. “He wants to talk to you, dear.”

With wide eyes and a shaky hand, I take the phone and put it to my ear. “Sam?”

“You moved on?” he says, sounding hurt.

I frown. “Of course I did.”

“I’m happy for you,” he says quietly, sounding genuine. “I wanted to call and give you a heads up. I know we ended badly, but I’m moving back to town. Lenora and I both got positions lined up at the hospital.”

“I already know.” I answer him.

“I just wanted... I... well, I didn’t want things to be ugly when we showed up,” he tells me. “I am sorry for all the shit I put you through Moira.”

“Why are you saying this now?”

“Because I’ve told Lenora all the bullshit I did when I was with you, and she said I needed to fix it. And she’s right. I hurt you, a lot. I wasn’t a good man then.”

“I appreciate this call, but in the future, could you not? I forgive you. That’s all there is to that, but I’m sure you will realize that us ever being more than civil will never happen.”

“I understand, Moira.” He clicks off, sounding upset, and for the first time since the divorce, I feel free.

Closing my eyes, I smile.

“I take it that ended up being a good call?” Lilly asks softly.

“Sure did. I feel free finally.”

“Mason finds out that boy hurt you that way, no matter how you feel about him now, he’ll gut him,” Mrs. Shepard booms out.

Shit. No way. Mason isn’t even sure if he likes me. He wouldn’t… but the thought that he might someday love me enough to care so much that someone hurt me makes me smile.

Things after that confrontation with Lilly and Mrs. Shepard happened at warp speed. Mason came to me the very next day, wanting to date me. Gone was the angry, yelling man I first met. He was kind, and sweet. I haven’t seen his son though, and since we were still so new at this dating thing, I decided not to bring him up. I know if I had a child, I probably wouldn’t want him meeting the kid so early on in the relationship either.

Mason invited me over to his friends’ place tonight just for a simple BBQ. We’ve been an item for a month, and when he suggested I meet his friends, I smiled and said yes. Then I got kind of worried. What would his friends think of me, considering they were all very close with Mason’s first wife, and it’s only been four months since she passed away? Also, there’s the fact that Lilly’s now-husband was going to be there, and after my oops moment in the hospital after Lilly had her baby, Vinny probably hates my guts.

Would they like me? Would they hate me? If they hated me, would they show it? Mason must sense my thoughts right now, and he breaks the silence.

“Don’t be nervous. Lilly is sweet as hell, and Zippo is a fuckin’ dork. The only one I think you need to worry about is Crazy Old Lady Shepard. That old bat is nuts,” he says with a chuckle.

I shoot him a small hesitant smile just as we pull into his friends’ driveway. I never did tell him about the night Lilly and Mrs. Shepard came to see me after work, or the fact I’m the woman that accidentally busted his friend Zippo at the hospital.

“I like her.” I wink at him as he gives me a strange look.

I get out slowly, and meet him around the front of his Jeep, when I notice he is tense. “What’s wrong?” I ask him, because honestly, shouldn’t I be the one feeling tense right now.

“Nothing,” he grumbles out.

We walk quietly into the house, without knocking, and go straight to the living room. I see Hunter, Mason’s son, rolling around on the floor, drool flying all over, and smile. I haven’t seen him since he left the hospital. He was one of the best babies in the unit at the time.

I go to him, letting go of Mason’s arm, and pick him up. “Hey, how’s my cute little man?” I coo at him.

The air in the room shifts, and I feel weird. Looking up, I notice everyone around, staring at me. Mason is glaring at me. Uh oh… I’m thinking I did something wrong.

I gulp and look back to Hunter, who is smiling at me, pulling on my hair. I ignore the look Mason is giving me and give big giant kisses to Hunter. He laughs and giggles. I pull back and stare at the handsome little guy.

“Um, Mason, I um...” It stuttered out of Lilly. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t not invite her. She’s my best friend.”

I stiffen. Something doesn’t seem right.

“You told me you wouldn’t,” Mason growls at her.

Vinny steps in, almost knowing something would happen. “Reaper, man, back down. We’re all family, friends, whatever, here. Live with it,” he says.

“You have nerve to say shit,” Mason barks.

Vinny finally turns in my direction, eyes narrowed, jaw clenched, and he looks about to explode. He looks at Lilly. “Did you know?”

Lilly chews her bottom lip. “Um, yes.”

“I don’t like you,” he declares, looking at me.

My eyes go wide, and then Lilly speaks up. “It wasn’t her fault. It was yours,” she says, sounding pissed.

Vinny’s face turns to her, and he pales slightly. “Lilly-Pad,” he starts to say.

She puts a hand up. “I’ve forgiven you, you know this, but don’t you dare take it out on Moira. She outed you. Big deal. Move on from it.”

He looks at me sheepishly. “Sorry, Moira.”

I give him a small smile. “I’m sorry, too.”

Mason hasn’t spoken to me at all since we arrived at Lilly’s house. Every time I start to play with Hunter, he comes over and takes him from me. Lilly would see this, and end up bringing me over one of her girls to play with. Tension has been running high the entire day, and I know the little kids are feeling it. Mrs. Shepard ended up passing on the get together, saying she was going to Bingo night instead.

Mason looks like he wants to chew out Eden, but has refrained because of all the kids around— at least, until this moment.

Eden and Jasper stand up and smile around the room. “Got something to tell everyone,” Jasper says, grinning madly.

Eden smiles so bright I feel almost blinded.

“You all know how a few months back, Eden went to have her clips out? Well, we’re pregnant!” Jasper announces.

Everyone smiles and cheers except Mason, who stands up unexpectedly, his chair crashing to the floor. Jessica, Ethan, and Glenna—Eden and Jasper’s kids—all squeal and Ethan shouts ‘It better be a boy, sick of all these girls.’ I chuckle at that, poor kid is out numbered.

“Fuck you both,” Mason growls at them.

Everyone turns to glare at Mason, but no one is surprised to see him ruining the moment.

“You get to be all happy, pop out more fuckin’ kids, while Hilary rots in the fuckin’ ground, never to have another child, or even raise the one she currently has,” Mason grounds out, looking at Eden.

“Mason,” I say, edging closer to him.

He stops glaring at Eden and glares at me instead. “And you, you’re not Hunter’s mother, and you never fuckin’ will be. Stay away from my son.”

My eyes go wide, and I move away from him. He walks over to Hunter in his playpen and picks him up before storming out of the house. A slight breeze enters the backyard, and I hear someone whisper,
‘God he’s such a dick’
. Just as quickly, the chilly breeze is gone. Something weird has been going on lately, and it’s sort of freaking me out.

I chew on my bottom lip, feeling embarrassed.

“I’m sorry about Mason,” Vinny says, coming close to me.

“It’s okay. I just don’t get why he’s so angry,” I tell him.

“Man is fucked up, what with losing Hilary and all. Hopefully, he’ll get over the anger soon.”

Just then, Lilly comes over and gives me a small smile. “I thought it was a little weird, how you act with Hunter, but that’s because I always pictured Hilary doing what you do. Mason took it too far. Hopefully, he’ll get the stick out of his butt and apologize to you.”

I look over at Jasper and Eden, and walk to them. “I’m sorry about Mason.”

Jasper shakes his head, his lips in a hard line. “Don’t worry about it, and don’t you ever apologize for him again. His actions are his own.”

Eden just stares at me but doesn’t say anything. I feel a little weird. It’s almost like she doesn’t like me or something. I don’t get it, but I speak to her anyways. “Congrats on your pregnancy,” I say with a small smile.

I leave the backyard, walking to the fence, and open the gate. Looking out at the driveway, I see Mason is gone. I grab my cell to call a cab, when it’s taken out of my hand by Vinny.

“I’ll get you home,” he tells me.

“It’s okay. I can grab a cab,” I tell him, putting my coat on. Even though it’s spring, it’s still nippy out most evenings.

He shakes his head at me and pushes the button on his key fob to open the doors to his truck. “Get in.”

Sighing, I do as I’m told. When we pull up to my apartment complex, he clenches his jaw. “This is where you live?” he asks me.

“Um, yes. Why?”

“It’s in a shit ass neighborhood, and it looks run down.”

“It’s cheap. It’s all I can afford right now, since I still am paying off my student loans,” I say, unfastening my seat belt. “Thank you for the drive.” I smile.

“Babe, don’t be too hard on Mason, huh? He’s still going through lots of shit. Man is mean as a snake and has a nasty temper, but when he cools down, he’ll come to you.”